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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22732504">Just need a little push</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/kalika_999/pseuds/kalika_999'>kalika_999</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Jack and Brock's misadventures [100]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Best Friends, Blind Date, HYDRA Husbands, M/M, Matchmaker Natasha Romanov, Roommates, Sexuality, Valentine's Day</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 17:21:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,824</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22732504</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/kalika_999/pseuds/kalika_999</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Natasha sets Brock up on a blind date for Valentine's day, despite already having plans with Jack and his horror movie marathon.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jack Rollins/Brock Rumlow</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Jack and Brock's misadventures [100]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/547894</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Just need a little push</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/winter_angst/gifts">winter_angst</a>, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/quillingyousoftly/gifts">quillingyousoftly</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Please take this terrible excuse for a gift as a raincheck because my brain doesn't like to plan things out even though I need to plan things in my life, so it's just clearly being difficult with me.  I love you both, so much that it's probably on the creepy side come to think of it. lol  Oh well. 💙</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Brock’s still got an hour before he should really get showered and dressed, but he’s already finished doing his hair and put on some nice clothes.  He’d only agreed to the blind date because he owed a favor.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If it was his choice he would have been spending Valentine’s sitting on the couch watching horror movies.  Ones that Jack would have planned out for the night (even if Brock generally hated them) and then give his best friend shit for choosing them when Brock was too scared to turn the lights out for bed.  The whole thing would have been more thrilling at least. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You need to go out again, all you do is work and maybe hit the bar with your friends, or you stay at home with Jack.  Even Jack has a better social life than you do and that’s saying a lot.” Natasha told him last week without a trace of giving a shit over his feelings. “It’s been months since Mike broke up with you, and your string of one nighters are just getting sad and pitiful.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brock frowned. “How do you know about ‘em?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Natasha raised an eyebrow right back at him. “I know, trust me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And he does, because this was Natasha and she had weird powers he still couldn’t figure out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve got someone I’d like you to meet, they’re free for Valentine’s actually.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Natasha, no.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come on.” She goaded with a humored smile. “You owe me for that one time you texted me that you needed a way to get rid of that girl that didn’t know how to leave and I had to pretend I was your girlfriend walking in on the whole thing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shakes his head with a smile as he continues standing before the mirror, remembering the rest of the conversation. He tried to argue that she had fun letting herself in with the spare key she had only to pretend to be the cheated on girlfriend and making herself look psychotic in the process.  It was enough payment, or so Brock assumed. But when Natasha had her mind set on something, it was usually unavoidable. It’s why he was showered and changed for a date instead of in his sweats on the couch, a bottle of wine cradled between his thighs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He knows Natasha could have set him up with almost anyone.  She knows an amazing amount of people and because she’s evil and it’s a completely blind date, she doesn’t give him any clues, not even a hint of if they’re male or female. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brock looks over himself one last time, double checking every detail. He’s wearing dark wash jeans and a comfortable black Henley, a leather jacket over the whole thing. He thinks he looks pretty decent.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jack almost doesn’t notice him when he’s leaving the apartment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey.” He calls out, manspread on the couch and lowering a book down onto his lap. “No horror marathon tonight?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve got a date.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh.” Jack lets out, sounding surprised “Well, if you don’t mind, try to book a room or something.  I don’t want to hear anything from your bedroom later.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brock wants to say something snippy, mainly because it was his apartment first before Jack had moved in, but he wants to avoid a fight so he doesn’t.  He shrugs instead. “It’s a first date, I got no idea what’ll happen so we’ll see.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Usually Brock doesn’t mind Jack, they’re best friends obviously.  But it annoys the shit out of him whenever he makes a comment about his one nighters or pretends they don’t exist in the morning when he’s awake.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He says nothing in the way of a goodbye to Jack on his way out, his focus back on who his date could be, but as he does he searches nearby hotels on his phone just in case the night heads in that direction. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brock stops by Bucky’s since it’s on the way and they have a couple shots as he hypes him up a little for his mystery date.  Blind dates really aren’t his thing, surprises usually mean bad.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sure whoever it is, they’ll be decent.” Bucky says to him.  “Natasha’s a good judge of character.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brock knows this, but it’s nice to hear it from someone else just for extra measure.  The alcohol is warm in his belly and he’s ready to give it a try. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He arrives at the restaurant about fifteen minutes early.  It’s a local hot spot and he’s been there a few times, so at least Natasha was kind enough to pick a place that he was comfortable with.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Thor was working at the bar tonight and while new and chatty, he knew how to leave him alone.  Brock liked him and he found himself heading over to grab a quick drink so that at least he was properly relaxed.  He chats with him for a few minutes, watching the place get more busy as the minutes tick by.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Brock.” Thor says after coming back from serving a couple of new customers. “Isn’t that Jack?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brock turns around and yeah that’s Jack, sitting at an empty table with his eyes on his phone. His usual pushed back brown hair is slicked and stylized; he’s wearing a charcoal grey button up and dark slacks.  He looks really good.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey.” Says Brock. “It is him.  He never said he was goin’ out tonight.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>..Really good.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He pays for his drink and asks Thor to keep an ear out for his potential date while he walks over to Jack. Part of him wants to tease him after hearing him talk shit for days about Valentine’s and the other part of him is just baffled by how well he’s cleaned up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jack.” He calls, giving his friend a squeeze on the shoulder. “What? Got bored and decided to eat somewhere nice fer a change?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jack looks up at him and smirks. “Not exactly.  Looks like we both have dates for Valentine’s.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nice” Brock says, grinning slightly despite his stomach suddenly making him feel queasy.  Maybe he shouldn’t have had that last drink. “Jus don’t bring ‘er over, I don’t wanna hear anythin’ from yer bedroom later.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Him.</em>” Jack corrects.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m gay, Brock.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And of all the time he’s spent with Jack, he’s never realized he could be gay.  Actually, for a long time he wondered if he was asexual, or whatever the term was.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He realizes he’s still holding a hand on Jack’s shoulder and he tucks it into the pocket of his jeans, fingers slightly tingling in a weird sensation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jack’s still looking at him with an oddly focused and expectant expression he always has, but Brock thinks he sees a glint of something else in it; A fear?  Awkwardness? Nervousness? Whatever it is, Brock’s grin only widens and he shrugs.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright.” He acknowledges. “Then don’t bring </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span> over.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jack smiles. It’s a rare thing when it’s earnest like this one is and really, Brock really doesn’t mind when he does it, it looks nice on him and kind of makes Brock feel more positive about shit. So much so that when he walks away to get a table of his own to wait at, he gives his best friend a wink.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And Jack only gives him a wider, seemingly happier smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brock sits at a table apparently Natasha had reserved for him and his date, it’s one where he’s far away from Jack but can still see him. A horrible thought crosses his mind, what if one of their dates stands them up..then what?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He really hopes that doesn’t happen.  For him, it would be too embarrassing and for Jack well..Brock keeps racking his brain to remember if he’s ever seen Jack even go out on a date, but he can’t recall even one.  It only makes Brock hope harder that no one acts like a jackass towards him and that he at least gets a nice night out of it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There’s this third part of him that kind of wonders if it fails for both of them, it’s not so bad if they end up heading home and maybe catching one of those planned horrors Jack had ready.  Come to think of it, did Jack have a date last minute or did he just plan on canceling if Brock didn’t accept Natasha’s plans for him?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Whatever it was, he was now at his own table, supposed to be focusing on his own date and he was now going to, his hands quietly folding themselves onto his lap as he waited patiently and ignored the urge to call for some wine because he was slowly feeling a little nervous again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seven comes and passes, and neither Brock nor Jack’s dates arrive. They’re both on their phones and he even sends a text to Jack, a joke about their dates being late.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He sees Jack grinning at the phone and receives his text a second later.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brock can’t help warm to it..</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When it’s a few minutes after eight and no one’s here, and they’ve been texting for half an hour already, Jack brings it upon himself to walk over and take a seat across from him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess he’s not coming.” He announces.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ya think?” It’s not sarcasm, since his blind date isn’t here either.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jack nods. “Yours may have had some kind of issue, but I don’t think they could have both had car problems or whatever could have happened.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I dunno.” Brock says. “They could be carpoolin’ together fer all we know.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They should have been here early then.” Jack gripes, but really, he doesn’t seem as bummed out about the idea of being stood up as Brock may have thought. “Either way, next time Natasha tries to set me up, I’ll just tell her to get someone who knows how to tell time, or even show up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Natasha.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brock frowned.  Was she setting up all her single friends today? “Natasha set you up?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. Blind date. If it wasn’t her doing it, I probably would have cancelled.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brock wishes the situation could be different, because he’s starting to feel a rather familiar suspicion beginning to bubble in his stomach. “Blind date, this place, at seven?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah.  She said since I frequent it, it would be comfortable for me.” Jack replied. “Why?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nothin’.” Brock mutters.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Natasha knows Jack’s not his type, well Brock has a very loose term for </span>
  <em>
    <span>type</span>
  </em>
  <span> and Jack is sorta his type, in the tall, dark and handsome sort of way..because Jack </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> handsome for sure, but she knows it’s not like he’s actively looking to go on a date with Jack or anything.  He’s his best friend and she knows that, obviously. And Brock’s sure he’s not Jack’s type either, because something would’ve happened between them already. Some signs would be there, some chemistry, <em>something</em>.  He thinks he’s aware enough to notice stuff like that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He sends Natasha a quick text, just in case.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, uh. Your date is a guy?” Brock throws out, because small talk isn’t his best feature.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jack stares at him a long moment before he answers. “Yeah. Does it weird you out?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Me, being gay.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Should it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jack looks at his lap, his hands are there, he can suddenly picture them closing a little before opening again like he’s nervous and Brock has no idea what he’s damn nervous about. “No. I just thought, I don’t really know what I thought.  I’m just so used to just, keeping things to myself because I sometimes hate reactions. I really don’t know what I’m getting at.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I ain’t too sure what yer gettin’ at either to be honest, Jack.” Brock’s fingers hover over his phone, waiting for a chime telling him he has a text from Natasha. “I come home with guys all the time, I’d be the last person to say shit about it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah.” Jack nods, staying weirdly conservative about it still. Obviously there’s something really personal going on, even if he knows Brock’s not going to make fun of him.  He leaves it for whenever Jack wants to bring it up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They talk a little more, about similar interests like they’re back at their apartment hanging out and not simultaneously stood up if that really is the case. Jack hands him a menu after announcing he’s starving and they end up agreeing on the special Valentine’s four course meal for two the restaurant is offering for the night. Even after that, no one ends up coming in for either of them. Brock suggests they split the bill and head over to that little dive bar they both haunt in the middle of the night when they want some atmosphere but not a lot of it that’s close to their place.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When they get there and Jack pays for both their drinks, the two of them sitting at a booth in the far back and listening to country music that a band’s playing live.  It’s awful but Jack’s laughing in that way that he knows Brock thinks it is but he also thinks it’s funny he does. He wonders if this is how a date with Jack is supposed to go, it’s simple and comfortable, it’s nice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Natasha’s text comes at ten, but neither of them notice over the loud music. They’re talking and getting to know each other more in this one sitting than they have ever before and they go take over the pool table that’s suddenly gotten freed up.  It’s where Brock wins (even if he’s sure Jack let him) and he orders another round of beers. They’re just tipsy enough to have a great time without doing things they wouldn’t do sober, like when some drunk guy drowning his sorrows on this very special day, offers a round of shots to everyone in the bar and he and Jack intertwine their arms together to take the shot.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sitting back at their booth, Jack puts an arm around his shoulder when he slips in next to him. Brock has about a million flashbacks of every time one of them accidentally touched the other, and how he’s noticed the little things about his best friend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’s been roommates with Jack for about a year now, and he’s been ready to have his back for most of that time. He’s gotten used to Jack just being there, a part of his life, something he knows he can come home to. Jack, with soft hair that tints red in the sunlight and legs that go on forever when they’re propped up on the coffee table while he’s reading a book like it’s going out of style.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The same Jack Brock’s been in love with for about six months now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The reason he was single in the first place and too stubborn to acknowledge.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So Brock being Brock, moments after Jack put his arm around his shoulder, leans in and closes that last bit of space between them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jack’s lips are much softer than he’d expected them to be. And when they move in sync together, with several months worth of Brock’s buried feelings bubbling up to the surface, it’s hotter than any kiss he’s ever had.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When they pull apart, Jack grabs him by the back of the neck and draws him in for another quick kiss. This one is softer, deeper and nothing like the roughness he’d expect from Jack, well not this soon anyway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They make out on the couch at home, dropping together in a heap with fingers wandering in unexplored areas, skin on fire. Brock goes to take a shower when it’s all getting too much and he needs to process, he’s half expecting Jack to follow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When he doesn’t, he relaxes even if he’s a tiny bit disappointed.  This isn’t just anyone for Brock, this is Jack and they need to take their time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They go to sleep each in their own bed, shy goodnights said and hand touches struggling to let go.  But when Brock wakes up in the morning to find Jack back into his book, feet once again propped up on the coffee table, his head feels clearer than it’s been in a long time and leans down to give Jack a quick peck on the lips before he can stop himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jack smiles up at him, reaches up to hold his chin lightly, just barely like a silent request that Brock grants, and they share another kiss, this one wrapped in deeper feelings than the one before.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brock finds his phone in his jacket, which had been tugged off his shoulders and thrown to the floor last night by Jack, but was now hung in the closet like it usually was, a single message left from Natasha.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He smiles when he reads it, and lets Jack know that their Valentine’s dates hadn’t stood them up after all.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
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